Oven doors and the like



Dec. 20, 1955 .1. TITUS OVEN DOORS AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov. 25, 1953 FIG. I.

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Dec. 20, 1955 J. 1.. TlTUS OVEN DOORS AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed NOV. 25, 1953 Dec. 20, 1955 J. 1.. TlTUS OVEN DOORS AND THE LIKE 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 25, 1953 Dec. 20, 1955 J. L. TITUS OVEN DOORSAND THE LIKE =1- Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 25, 1953 Patented Dec. 20,--1 955 2,727,507 OVEN DOORS AND THE James Lowell Titus, Cr'estwood, Mo.,assignor to Magic Chef, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of NewJersey This invention relates to oven doors and the like, and moreparticularly to oven doors for cooking ranges.

In general, the object of the invention is the provision of a detent andhinge construction for oven doors and the like, particularly for cookingranges, including the following features:

(1) An improved positive stop determining a fully open position of thedoor, which allows the door and hinge elements to be completelysubassembled and installed as a unit.

(2) A detent mechanism for the door which is adapted to hold the door ina partly open position against a return bias tending to close the door,the door being readily movable either to its closed position or itsfully open position from said partly-openposition;

(3) An arrangement as set forth in (2) in which the door is adapted tobe held by its weight in its fully open position againsta closing springbias;

(4) The utilization of the closing spring bias for detent operation;

(5) The utilization of the detent mechanism to operate a switch forcontrollinga signal means in response to opening and closing of thedoor;

(6) A construction which is quiet and reliable in operation andeconomical to manufacture.

Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointedout hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafterdescribed, the scope of the invention being indicated in the followingclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possibleembodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal cross section takenon line 11 of Fig.'3 through an oven of a cooking range including its closed door, centraland rear portions being brokenawayj i Fig. 2 is a cross section taken online 22 of Fig. 1, with certain lower parts shown in front elevationpartly broken away; i

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the door in its partly openintermediate position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4, showing the door in fullyopen position;

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to the right-hand portion of Fig. 1,illustrating a modification including a switch for controlling a lamp;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectiontaken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the door in fully openposition; v v

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Figs. 7 and 8 showing the door in its partlyopen intermediate position; and,

Fig. 10 is across section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 6.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 5 of the drawings, there is indicated at 1 acooking range having an oven 3 and a-door 5 for the oven. The usualinternal side walls of the oven are indicated at 7. The bottom of theoven is indicated at 9. The door comprises an outer panel 11, an innerpanel or lining 13 and an internal panel 15 constituting a brace. Thebrace 15 has side flanges 17. Fixed to these side flanges are hingeoutside of each of the walls 7 is a hinge member 21. These hinge members21 extend through slots 23 in the front 25 of the range adjacent thebottomof the oven and reach into the interior of the door 5 throughslots 27 in the door lining 13 to pin connections at 29 with the lowerends of hinge membeis 19. These pin con nections are at the bottom ofthe door, and the door is thereby hinged for swinging movement on ahorizontal axis between the closed position illustrated in Figs- 1:3extending vertically upward and the fully open position extendinggenerally horizontally forward from the range illustrated in Fig. 5.

Each hinge member into the interior of the side walls 7. These arms 31,-as illustrated, are curved on an arc centered in the axis or pinconnections. When the door is closed they extend rearward and downwardfrom the door (see Fig. 3). A lever generally designated 37 is pivotedon each arm 31 at the inner end of the arm by means of a pivot pin 39for both swinging movement with the door and rocking movement relativeto the door on an axis parallel to the axis of the door hinge pins 29.Each lever 37 has the general form of a bell crank, having arms 41 and43 generally at right angles to one another and diver gfrom anapexindicated at 45, where the lever is formed as a hook for attachmentof one end of a coil tension spring47. pivot pin 39 for lever 37 isoifset from the apex 45, being located along the length of the arm 41.There is'a'helically coiled tension spring 47 at each side of the oven,each spring extending from a connection 49 atthe bottom of the range andadjacent the front of the range to its connection at 45 with therespective lever. The springs thus act through the levers 37 to bias thedoor to'its closed position. As the door is swung open, each spring isstretched but itsaxis angles toward thedoor' axis, so that while theforce of the spring is increased, the effective the force with respect.to the door hinge axis is diminished so that the door may remain in itsfully opened position shown in Fig. 5 under the moment arm of its ownweight.

Fixed on the outside 51. Each bracket carries a roller 53 located toactas the door, in swinging closed, mediate position shown in Fig. 2wherein the'oven is slightly open, as for oven-venting purposes. Eachroller 53 is mounted on a stud 57 extending outward from its respectivebracket 51 and has a flange 59. Each bracket 51 has a bottom flange 61attachedto ah'cirizontal panel 63 in the range. Springs 47 extendthrough slots 65 in this panel. The edge 55 of the arm 43 of each lever37 is formed generally centrally of its length with a lobe 67 providinga shoulder 69 on said edge 55 spaced from the end of the arm 43.

The fully open position of the door is determined by the engagement ofthe outer edges 71 of arms" 41 of the levers 37 with the front of therange (see Fig. '5). These edges are generally at right angles to theedges-"s5 or arms 43 of the levers. As the door is swung upward inclosing direction, each spring 47 is angled rearward about members 19.Fixed to the its lower end connection 49, and acts upon the respectivelever 37 to cause such rocking of the lever on its pivot 39 incounterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. as maintains the springaxis in line with the pivot 39. Also, as the door is swung upward fromits fully open position, the springs overcome the moment arm of theweight of the door with respect to the door hinge axis and becomeetfective'. to move the door in closing direction. The stated rockingaction of each lever 37 continues as the door swings closed until theedge 55 of the lever comes into engagement with the respectiveroller orstop 53. Thereupon thelever. is rocked counterclockwise on its pivot 39in such manner that the spring axis angles rear ward from the line ofthe spring connection 49 and the pivot 39 to extend between the pivot 39and the stop 53. As this occurs, the edge 55 of the lever rides on thestop 53 to the point where the shoulder 69 provided by. the lobe 67engages the stop to hold the door under balanced conditions in theintermediate and slightly open position shown in Fig. 4, the closingbias exerted by the spring being overcome by the reaction of the stopagainst the shoulder. The door may be moved from this inter? mediateposition to its closed position by manually pushing it in closingdirection to overcome the reaction, thereby causing the shoulder 69 topass the stop 53 and lobe 67 to ride up on may be freely swung open fromeither its closed position of Fig. 3 or its intermediate position ofFig. 4, the action of the levers 37 thereupon being reverse to thatabove described. It will be understood that when it is desired to movethe door from its closed position to its intermediate position it isnecessary only to open the door somewhat past its intermediate position,and then return it to its intermediate position. It will be furtherunderstood that the door may be moved in one continuous operation fromits fully open position of Fig. 5 to its closed position of Fig. 3without any interruption at the intermediate position.

In the manufacture of the range, a subassembly is made consisting of thedoor panels 11, 13 and 15, hinge members 19 and 21 and their pinconnections 29, and levers 37 on the ends of the arms 31 of hingemembers 19. To mount this subassembly in place, hinge members 21 areinserted through the slots 23 in the front of the range and fastened tothe oven side walls 7. The inner ends of arms 31 together with levers 37are passed through the slots 35 in the front of the range. In order toenable each lever 37 to be passed through the respective slot 35, theshape of the lever is made such that its maximum width (from its apex 45to the fillet opposite the apex) is less than the length of the slot 35.Thus, with the lever 37 free to rock on its pivot 39, it is possible topass it through the slot by appropriately angling it on its pivot. Afterthis has been accomplished, springs 47 are connected to the levers, andthey position the levers for engagement of the edges 71 with the front25 of the range at positions above and below the slots 35. The thicknessof levers 37 is enough to provide sufiicient area for distribution ofthe force applied to the front of the range above and below the slots 35to reduce chipping of enamel and eliminate any necessity forreinforcement of the range at these areas. Thus, the hinge construction,apart from the stops 53 for determining the intermediate position of thedoor, has utility in that it provides means for determining the fullyopen position of the door while allowing the door and hinge elements tobe completely subassembled and installed as a unit.

Figs. 6-10 illustrate a modification providing for operation of a switchfor controlling a lamp (not shown) in response to opening and closing ofthe door. This lamp, for example, may be a lamp in the oven forilluminating the oven, to be turned on when the door isopened and to beturned off when the door is closed. To provide for such switchoperation, the bracket 51 at one side of the oven (its right side, asshown) is replaced by'a bracket 81 to which is fixed a U-shaped switchsupport 83. This the stop (see Fig. 3). The door support 83 is able bythe arm from fixed to the bracket 81 so that it is angled upward towardthe .front of therrange. The sides of the U-shaped support 83 and thebracket 81 have slots 85 receiving a shaft 87 carrying a roller or stop89 corresponding to stop 53. Attached to the base of the support 83 is aswitch 91 having a push button 93 extending through an opening in thebase for engagement by the roller 89. This switch isof a well-known typeincluding a spring which biases the push button to an ex tendedposition. This holds the roller 89 in an extended limiting positiondetermined by engagement of shaft 87 with the outer ends of the slots 85(see Fig. 8). Upon engagement of the roller 89 by the lever 37, theroller is moved transversely inward against the spring bias of theswitch to an inward limiting position determined by engagement of theshaft 87 with the inner ends of the slots 85, and this operates theswitch. Usually, the switch will be of a type that is spring biased toon position, and moved to off position by pushing in its button. In suchcase, the switch will be on when the door is open, and off when the dooris either in its intermediate or closed position.

Inview of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above cone structions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

1. In a cooking range, an oven door hinged on a first pivot for swingingmovement between a fully closed and a fully open position, a detentmechanism for releasably holding the door in a partially open positioncomprising a stop located on the rangeback of said first pivot, ahelical tension spring, an anchor on the range below both the pivot andthe stop, the lower, end of said spring being attached to said anchor, arigid arm extending backward from the door and carrying a second pivotwhich is swinga forward to a rearward position, a lever swingable onsaid second pivot and having a first portion on one side of said pivotand engaging with a fixed portion of the range when the door is fullyopen and a second portion on the opposite side of said pivot andengaging with said stop when the door swings from a partially open to aclosed position, the upper end of said spring having a connection withsaid lever at a point between said second pivot and said second portion,said anchor being substansecond pivot, spring connection and tially onthe spring axis when the door opening exceeds that of said partiallyopenposition, engagement of the lever with said stop when the door isbetween its partially v open and closed positions swinging the lever onsaid second pivot so that the spring axis is along a line extendingbetween said second pivot and stop.

2. Apparatus made accor lever includes a shoulder means detent engagingsaid stop as the door moves partially open to closed position.

3. Apparatus made means to mount the stop for limited movement by thelever, and a switch actuated by the stop upon such limited movement.

4. Apparatusmade according to claim 1, wherein the lever includes ashoulder means forming a force exerting detent engaging said stop as thedoor moves from said partially open to closed position, means adapted toguide the stop for limited movement by the lever, actuated by the stopupon such limited movement 5. In a cooking range, pivot for swingingmovement between a fully closed position which is substantially verticaland a fully open posiforming a force exerting from said tion which issubstantially horizontal, a detent mechanism.

for releasably holding the door in a partially open posi-:

g to claim 1, wherein the.

according to claim 1, including.

and a switch an oven door hinged on a'first:

tion comprising a stop located on the range back of said first pivot, ahelical tension spring, an anchor on the range below the pivot and thestop, the lower end of said spring being attached to said anchor, arigid arm extending backward from the door and carrying a second pivotwhich is swingable by the arm from an elevated forward to a downward andrearward position, a lever swingable on said second pivot and having afirst portion on one side of said pivot and engaging with a fixedportion of the range when the door is substantially horizontal, and asecond portion on the opposite side of said pivot and engaging with saidstop when the door swings from a partially open to a closed position,the upper end of said spring having a connection with said lever at apoint between said second pivot and said second portion, said secondpivot, spring connection and anchor being substantially on the springaxis when the door opening exceeds said partially open position,engagement of the second portion of the lever with said stop when thedoor is between its partially open and closed positions swinging thelever on said second pivot so that the spring axis is along a lineextending between said second pivot and stop.

6. Apparatus made according to claim 5, wherein said stop is constitutedby a roller mounted for limited displacement by the lever, said secondportion on the lever which engages the roller including a shoulder meansforming a force exerting detent mechanism engaging with said roller asthe door moves from said partially open to closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,621,500 Fitch Mar. 22, 1927 2,313,506 Berg Mar. 9, 1943 2,410,980Klein Nov. 12, 1946 2,425,365 Davidson Aug. 12, 1947 2,447,341 JohnsonAug. 17, 1948

